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Cullen International organised a briefing on the European Commission proposed regulation on "promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services" on 16 May 2018.
Werner Stengg, Head of Unit E-commerce and Platforms, DG Connect, presented the proposal and answered questions from participants.
The proposed regulation was published by the European Commission on 26 April 2018 and is the first EU legal instrument aimed at online market places. Rather than prohibiting particular practices by these platforms, the draft regulation mainly obliges them to introduce, in their general terms and conditions, transparency requirements in relation to their business users on some of the main business practices (Flash and Tracker).
12 June 18
The future postal regulatory framework needs to reflect changing user needs and industry innovations
There is no clear consensus on the shape of the future regulatory regime for the postal and delivery market. In particular, the diversity in user needs forces policy makers and market players to consider a range of difficult issues. Many of these topics were discussed at the 26th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics which took place at the beginning of June in Croatia.
31 May 18
New benchmark on telecoms operators' strategies into media content
Our new benchmark analyses the content strategies of the main electronic communications operators in key EU markets and examines the extent to which these operators have decided to invest in the content media value chain.
29 May 18
New benchmark on the fight against online piracy
Cullen International’s new research examines new administrative and court procedures to fight online piracy in Europe. Online piracy remains high despite the emergence of successful online offers such as Netflix.


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Today Europe’s situation on the theme of digital is at a turning point and the open discussion around the Digital Services Act proves it. From their early stage of their installment, the new commission had made clear that the digital world with all its subcategories, e-commerce in the first place, was no longer a theme to be part of their primary agenda. However, it was the Covid that revealed this topic’s centrality and strategic importance.
Infact, the new dossier by the Commission shows a series of provisions that had already been in place. For instance, the protection of data and privacy of the European user with the GDPR or the guarantee of transparency in favor of consumers thanks to geoblocking, a measure came into force at the end of 2018, which guarantees the right to have a full view of the prices of a commodity in the different countries of Europe. But the big news is that for the first time a statement was made clear: the digital sector is no longer an accessory sector, but a new and real strategic development asset, as the aviation or the steel industry.
But what are the needs of the sector expected to be taken in account? First of all, a digital single market is completely lacking in Europe and the issues are mostly country-related: the difficulties of accessing managed funds to create European excellences. Furthermore, we operate in a context of great cultural differences. This picture makes us extremely permeable to the great American or Chinese players who do not know these difficulties in their domestic market and who enter Europe only after growing at home.
This trend is flanked by the new store models on which Europe has no possibility of intervention: placing data at the center creates dominant positions in the digital value chain by controlling the different stages of its development, leaving local vendors with a margin that is a little more beyond survivability.
As if an ice cream maker was forced to obtain supplies from a single supplier for milk, fruit, machinery, and who also owns the facilities in which the maker operates. It is clear that the supplier is not only the sole source of subsistence of our entrepreneur, but they are also the only ones who can unequivocally establish his profit margins. This is an extreme example which, however, is not so far from what the great international players do, entering the process so deeply and so diffusely that they put companies using their tools in an extremely weak position.
This is the reason why it is strategically important for Europe to work on a community regulation of the sector, aiming at rebalancing the forces in the field. This is the first step in making the European digital industry competitive globally.
This is the only way to feed a culture capable of leading to the aggregation necessary for the creation of European sector champions. In this sense, the Digital Services Act is the first step on a path towards the construction of a new regulatory environment that favors the industrial development of the digital world.
Today we are in a phase in which Europe recognizes and states the value of the digital world. This is an important moment of awareness to which America, for example, has not yet arrived. If in the US there is a digital entrepreneurial culture, the same cannot be said of a “state” culture. Europe could benefit from this awareness but in order for the transformation to be complete, is once again necessary to act on three fronts: first, regulations needs to be one, with a single framework at European level, second, the finance world needs to provide incentives for the sector, and last, culture must include policies that facilitate aggregations at European level.
Giovanni Meda is a digital entrepreneur, CEO Kooomo
Kooomo is a tech platform helping brands to sell online and connect internationally

domain: news


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A data breach happened at Verizon Enterprise Solutions. The violation which involves theft and resale of customer data was discovered by security firm KrebsOnSecurity. Verizon Enterprise Solutions is usually the one which is called when there are breaches in other companies, so this must be a big blow for them.
A prominent member of the underground cybercrime forum posted a new thread which seemed to advertise the sale of a database which contained contact information on customers of the Verizon Enterprise numbering 1.5 million. The member of the forum, which is carefully guarded, offered a retail price for the entire package at $100,000. The seller also gave options of buying chunks of the data for $10,000 at 100, 000 records each. The offer was to purchase information about security vulnerabilities in Verizon’s website.
The company, when contacted for information, acknowledged the breach and said that they had discovered the security flaw in their system which had allowed the hackers to steal customer contact data, also adding that they were contacting affected customers to let them know. In a statement they said:
“Verizon recently discovered and remediated security vulnerability on our enterprise client portal. Our investigation to date found an attacker obtained necessary contact information on many of our enterprise customers. No customer proprietary network information or other was accessed or accessible.”
The seller on the forum, of the Verizon Enterprise data, is offering multiple ways of buying the database. He also has the MongoDB database, meaning he might have somehow forced the database to dump all its contents. Verizon, however, did not answer to questions of how the data had been stolen, and how many customers were being alerted.
According to a 2015 report by Verizon itself, organized crime groups were the most frequently seen threat actor for Web applications attacks of precisely the same sort they suffered themselves. Their report also indicates that “Virtually every attack in this data set (98 percent) was opportunistic in nature, all aimed at easy targets,” the company wrote.
Verizon is usually the one telling other companies and organizations to watch out for this type of attacks so for it to be targeted like this is ironic. The customer database that is on sale on the forum will subject the affected customers to phishing and other targeted attacks. The fact that Verizon Enterprise claims 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies use their services means the list is a target rich list.


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What's moving markets on Thursday? Jump in and you'll get the full market wrap!
Japan’s machinery orders head south
In June, Japan's core machinery orders inched down at the fastest tempo for six months. The Asian country’s companies actually expect another moderate sag in the third quarter because capital expenditure might speed down, especially as international trade concerns strengthen.
The 8.8% dive in core machinery orders, which appears to be a highly volatile data traditionally employed as a major gauge of capital spending, surpassed the median forecast of a 1.3% slump in a Reuters survey, marking the most impressive dip since December last year.
Polled by the Cabinet Office, Japanese manufacturers have predicted that core orders are going to head south nearly 0.3% from July to September after a 2.2% jump in April-June.
Apparently, the machinery orders that showed up just a day before data anticipated to demonstrate that the Japanese economy kept expanding in the second quarter because of firm consumer spending as well as capital expenditure might drive the BOJ’s worries as for future surge.
Some market experts suggested that the Japanese economy will keep ascending, although at a slower tempo.
As a matter of fact, in June, orders from manufacturers slipped by nearly 15.9% following May’s 1.3% jump. At the same time, service-sector orders went down by 7% in contrast with a 0.2% leap in May.
Additionally, the Cabinet Office had its assessment of machinery orders lowered, telling that a revival in orders has frozen.
In the second quarter, the country’s GDP is anticipated to have soared at an annualized rate of about 1.4%, as the Reuters survey of 16 market experts disclosed.
In January-March, Japan’s economy sank at an annualized rate of about 0.6%, thus marking the end of the 8-quarter winning marathon.
However, risks to the outlook are still actual because US leader’s protectionist trade stance and his threats to slap duties on imported cars and auto parts worsen the prospect for the Japanese export-reliant economy.
Read the report to get the fresh market wrap and trade ideas for today!
Read the report to know the latest news and get the tech analysis of EUR/AUD, EUR/USD, and USD/JPY!
In this article, you'll find the list of the hottest stocks to trade on April 19-23, which will publish their earnings!
While Citigroup reports better-than-expected quarterly data, it is also aims at restructuring its global presence. What will be the impact?
What's moving markets on Friday? What is the hottest news? Let's find out!


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Pain in the battered stock market may continue to intensify this year as companies face headwinds from weak consumer confidence and a drop in new manufacturing orders relative to inventory levels, according to Morgan Stanley’s wealth management business.
“The bear market bottom may still be 5% to 10% away,” said Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, in a note Monday. “Pursue maximum asset-class diversification.”
New manufacturing orders have been falling relative to inventories, with the ratio near pre-pandemic levels as global supply chain pressures have eased, Shalett said. That may not bode well for company profits, she warned, pointing to the “strong historic correlation between forward profit growth and the orders/inventory ratio.”
She tracked the S&P 500’s 12-month forward earnings-per-share growth against demand indicators from the Institute for Supply Management to illustrate her concern in a chart.
MORGAN STANLEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT REPORT DATED JULY 11, 2022
“One of the faster-moving developments of the past month has been the drop in new manufacturing orders relative to inventories,” said Shalett. That “could be a harbinger of a significant hit to corporate profits 12 months forward.”
Companies are entering earnings season for their second-quarter results, which investors will be poring over in the coming weeks as they look for signs of how well businesses have been holding up amid an economic slowdown and high inflation. Investors will also be looking for forward guidance from companies.
“While valuation multiples have reset lower, corporate earnings have not recalibrated for the new regime of higher costs of capital and higher inflation,” said Shalett. “We look for second and third-quarter earnings guidance to reset expectations downward, which will likely be a short-term headwind for stocks.”
The U.S. stock market was trading mostly lower Monday afternoon amid concerns over China tightening restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19, with The Wall Street Journal reporting July 10 that Macau was set to enter a citywide lockdown.
The S&P 500
was down 0.6%, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite
was trading 1.5% lower and the Dow Jones Industrial Average
was up less than 0.1% after losses earlier in the session, FactSet data show, at last check.
The S&P 500 has dropped more than 18% this year through Friday, amid fears over the Federal Reserve becoming more aggressive in its battle to bring soaring inflation under control.
“Even if inflation linked to commodities and supply chains is easing, overall inflation may be slower to come down,” cautioned Shalett. “Inflation is far from tamed.”
In May, the cost of living rose in the U.S. to an annual rate of 8.6%, the highest since 1981 based on the consumer-price index. All eyes will be on the inflation reading for June, which is scheduled to be released Wednesday.


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How a Pittsburgh startup could have helped Target avoid data breach
Following the announcement that 40 million credit and debit card account numbers may have been stolen from its stores, Target Corp. has been doing its best to woo back last-minute holiday shoppers. But with advancements made in data security technology could the whole situation have been avoided?
Dynamics manufactures intelligent payment cards that can change the digits of a credit card's number, without requiring changes to the physical or financial infrastructure. Unlike having a static credit-card number, with Dynamics' technology, the credit card's magnetic strip can be rewritten on the go.
"We believe there is a stronger strategy," Mullen said. "How do you advance data so you protect yourself in the event that the electronic data is stolen?"
These types of data breaches are nothing new. We were reporting on this in October 2012, hackers stole credit card information from 63 Barnes & Noble stores across the country, including two in the Pittsburgh area. On of the biggest cases was the 2007 TJX data breach, in which the retailer had to pay as much as $40.9 million in a settlement with Visa and the bank that processes the company's credit card payments after more than 100 million cards were exposed to potential fraud.
Mullen said high-profile cases such as these have helped to add credibility to companies like his that are looking at different options for payment cards and have raised awareness around the pitfalls of the current system. Following the Target breach, Mullen said a lot of people have been engaging with Dynamics.
Justine Coyne covers manufacturing and higher education.
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Commerce and Industry Ministry may soon approach Union Cabinet to get final approval on proposals.
New Delhi: The government is moving ahead with further opening of print media, construction and retail sectors to foreign investments, and detailed deliberations in this regard were held in the finance ministry today.
The commerce and industry ministry may soon approach the Union Cabinet to get the final approval on the proposals, sources said. According to them, the government is considering to relax foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in certain areas of print media.
Currently, government allows foreign investment in areas such as printing of newspapers and publishing of scientific magazines with certain conditions and FDI caps.
There is also a proposal to ease the policy in construction and development sector, under which an Indian company could be allowed to bring FDI even for undeveloped plots in any project.
Currently, 100 per cent FDI is allowed in the construction sector subject to various conditions. One of the norms is that the Indian investee company is
permitted to sell only developed plots, which means plots where trunk infrastructure - roads, water supply, street lighting, drainage and sewerage, have been made available.
Sources said the government may put certain restrictions while making changes in this condition. The whole exercise is aimed at providing investor friendly climate to foreign players and in turn attract more FDI to boost economic growth and create jobs.
The government is also mulling easing policy in single brand and multi-brand retail trading. There is a consideration to allow 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail sector through automatic route with certain conditions.
Currently, FDI up to 49 per cent is permitted under the automatic route but beyond that limit, government's nod is required. Further, the government is weighing the option of permitting overseas retailers to open stores for selling 'Made in India' products.
Besides, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is pitching to permit FDI in non-food items, along with food products, under the multi-brand retail policy. She wants that foreign players should be allowed to sell non-food items along with food products processed and manufactured in India under the FDI in food policy.
The easing of the policy will be on the lines of the announcements made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Budget for 2017-18.
The government last year relaxed FDI norms in over a dozen sectors, including defence, civil aviation, construction and development, private security agencies, real estate and news broadcasting.
Foreign investments are considered crucial for India, which needs around USD 1 trillion for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.
Foreign investments will help improve the country's balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.


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Pinduoduo, the third-largest ecommerce website after Alibaba and JD.com in China, has filed for an initial public offering in the US to seek as much as $1 billion on Friday, in a move that surprised the market as the company was established less than three years ago. Founded in September 2015 by a former Google software engineer Colin Huang, the Shanghai-based company is known for its Groupon-like business model, which encourages consumers to shop for similar daily necessities with friends and other netizens in order to receive big discounts on prices, as mechanizers are able to offer cheaper prices due to the large quantities. Underwriters of Pinduoduo's US listing include UBS, Goldman Sachs, and CICC, but the company is yet to determine the stock exchange that will host its initial public offering, according to a Sina news report on July 1. Revenue of Pinduoduo mainly comes from online advertisements and trade commissions. Since its inception, revenue has grown at a high rate, as have losses, according to the report.
China's social e-commerce startup Pinduoduo broke away from the pack with its successful IPO this week in New York, raising $1.6 billion and valuing the company at nearly $30 billion. Pinduoduo, best known of the newly public Chinese tech companies, was one of three that went public in a frenzy of IPO action this past Thursday in New York -- and in the midst of a U.S.-China trade war and growing restrictions on Chinese investment in the U.S. The two other new publicly traded Chinese companies in New York are Chinese unicorn and mobile data provider Jiguang and automotive transaction service platform Cango. Interestingly, both Pinduoduo and Cango have Tencent as backers. I'll write about the two lesser known ones of the trio since so much info is already out there about the three-year-old Pinduoduo, seen as Alibaba's biggest rival. And the others are almost as interesting as Pinduoduo, which has been likened to Groupon meets Dollar Store.
Kong Xiaohua, a middle-aged history teacher in a small town near the border with Russia, is among the online world's most sought-after users right now. Going after users like her marks the Chinese internet's race to go low: lower income, lower-tier cities and lower internet-service penetration. Ms. Kong shopped online for the first time last year. Using a social commerce app called Pinduoduo, she's bought clothes and household products such as adhesive wall hooks. She also started spending a lot of time on Qutoutiao, a news app that runs content based mostly around relationships, cheap comedy and sensational social news.
The price of competing with e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com is immense. That's evidenced by challenger Pinduoduo, commonly known as PDD, which is raising more than $1 billion in fresh capital just six months after it went public. The company announced plans to sell 37 million shares in a move that will raise over $1 billion, going potentially as high as $1.25 billion if underwriters exercise their full share purchase option. The secondary event will also see a number of existing backers sell a portion of their stock, those sellers including Sequoia China, Lightspeed China and Banyan, according to a filing. PDD went public in July when it raised $1.6 billion through a Nasdaq listing.
That is expected to rise next year, according to bankers and fund managers who follow the IPO market. In 2019 some of the hottest names among the tech unicorns, including Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and Slack Technologies Inc. are considering IPOs. Also widely expected: many lesser-known software companies that tout private valuations between $1 billion and $5 billion. These less commercially recognizable companies have made up many of the 2018 unicorns, and for that reason haven't gotten as much attention as higher-profile firms, according to some analysts. "These are stories people don't know well because they're not an app on your phone," said David Ethridge, U.S. IPO services leader at PwC. "But there's a very steady pace, and there's been a strong IPO market that's supported this." "The question is, 'What about 2019?' and that will take some guts and courage, but I think a lot of companies will make the decision to go public even with the difficult market," he added.


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New York City, February 12 (RHC)-- U.S. activists gathered to protest New York’s Fashion Week, demanding better wages and conditions for garment workers in Bangladesh.
The demonstrators called for U.S. brands whose clothing was made in the Rana Plaza factory complex to compensate relatives of the more than 1,100 workers who died when the building collapsed last April.
The Illuminator art collective later projected images of the Rana Plaza collapse victims onto buildings in New York City. The protests came the same day as a new report detailing how garment factory owners in Bangladesh threaten and intimidate workers who try to form unions. Workers told Human Rights Watch they faced sexist insults, death threats, physical attacks and intimidation that forced them to resign after they tried to organize.
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Nintendo DS Lite to hit Europe well before 16 August?
Manufacturer stays mum
Nintendo's DS Lite handheld games console may launch in Europe much sooner that the Wednesday, August 16 ship date circulating on a number of websites. The rumoured debut is "way off", according to a UK retail source cited by GamesIndustry.biz.
The mid-August deadline - along with an €130 price point, the same as the current DS - comes from German retailers. Nintendo has said the DS Lite will ship in Japan on March 2, but there's no official word on the redesigned handheld's launch in Europe. According to Nintendo US marketing chief Reggie Fils-Aime, the original DS will be phased out between August and September.
That would suggest there's something in the August 16 date, but Nintendo has said nothing about dropping the original DS in Japan around the time of the DS Lite's launch, so it's likely the phase out will occur some months after the DS Lite arrives. ®


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2015 Audi TT not coming to India this year
We recently came across the test mules of the 2015 Audi TT being tested in India. However, when asked, the folks at Audi India assured us that the test cars don't belong to them. Sounds fair, since the mules have been spotted for over three months now and considering that if and when Audi does bring the car to India, it will be a CBU and so the carmaker doesn't necessarily need to invest heavily in its homologation. The cars could therefore have been assigned to a testing agency for some specific technical or country-specific evaluation and likely to be commissioned directly or indirectly by the Volkswagen group itself or by some other carmaker.
Interestingly, the 2015 Audi TT is available with a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine that puts out 184PS of power and 380Nm of torque. With this mill having proven its mettle in India already, it could make for a sensible option to have in the TT line-up for India. The petrol options comprise of a 2.0-litre TFSI engine in two states of tune at 230PS and 310PS. The third generation TT has a new design direction and a lighter chassis.
Audi adds that at least for the next couple of months, there are no plans for the TT in India - while this means that the third generation TT won't come to India this year, it does hint towards an early 2015 launch.
Watch this space for our video of the test mules in action.
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After moving higher over the course of the previous session, treasuries saw some further upside during trading on Tuesday.
Bond prices fluctuated early in the session but managed to remain mostly positive. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, fell by 2.6 basis points to 3.980 percent.
The increase by treasuries came as traders looked ahead to release of the Labor Department’s closely watched report on consumer price inflation on Wednesday.
Consumer prices are expected to increase by 0.3 percent in June after inching up by 0.1 percent in May, while core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, are expected to rise by 0.3 percent in June after climbing by 0.4 percent in May.
The annual rate of growth by consumer prices is expected to slow to 3.1 percent June from 4.0 percent in May and the annual rate of core consumer price growth is expected to slip to 5.0 percent in June from 5.3 percent in May.
The consumer price data is likely to have a significant impact on the outlook for interest rates ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting later this month.
Ahead of the inflation data, CME Group’s FedWatch Tool is indicating a 92.4 percent chance of another quarter point rate hike at the next Fed meeting later this month.
Meanwhile, the Treasury Department revealed this month’s auction of $40 billion worth of three-year notes attracted well above average demand.
The three-year note auction drew a high yield of 4.534 percent and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.88, while the ten previous three-year note auctions had an average bid-to-cover ratio of 2.63.
The bid-to-cover ratio is a measure of demand that indicates the amount of bids for each dollar worth of securities being sold.
Source: Read Full Article


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This is awesome; I am so excited about win-win situations like this! Thanks to a new partnership between ShopRite and the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration, the Aquarium will save $16,000 per year in food for the animals and the grocery corporation will reduce its waste. The program will consist of ShopRite donating produce that is bruised or otherwise visually unappealing to consumers, but that is still edible and nutritious.
Of course, this sort of use of previously believed "unusable" foods is not new. Food Not Bombs has made "food recovery" a key part of its logistics for nearly thirty years.


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Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
21st February 2024 Issue no. 693
Your industry news - first
We strongly recommend viewing Locks and Security News full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Sonis announces launch of sensor free alarm system
Dunfermline based company, Sonis Smart Security Ltd, a leader in innovative wireless security systems has announced the launch date of its “NoEntry” security alarm. The palm-sized, wire and sensor-free alarm detects break-ins and activates before an intruder is even able to gain access to a property.
It is self-installed in minutes using a simple keyfob operation.
Using advanced sound signature algorithms, the alarm detects intruders and alerts owners within 300 milliseconds of an attempted break-in. It does not require sensors. Houses, holiday homes or rented accommodation can be protected in minutes by plugging the device into the mains and using the keyfob setup.
After a successful round of investment, the alarm entered manufacturing in May and will be available to purchase from the company’s website on the 4th of July 2022. Pre-orders will begin to be taken on the website from the 14th of June with purchasers receiving a £40 discount if buying before launch.
With over 60 years of combined experience in the alarm and security industry, No Entry by Sonis leads the way in protecting people's homes with world-class products backed up with excellent customer support. After a decade of innovation and technical excellence, Sonis are ready to enter the marketplace with the NoEntry system, a product that is unique in the world of alarm systems. The NoEntry palm-sized device has been developed entirely by the company. Sonis is passionate about safety, and its new patented technology aims to warn people about intruders before they enter the property.
15th June 2022


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Senate Democrats expect the chamber to pass a bill that would require rental car companies to ground recalled vehicles until they are fixed, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said today.
Schumer, one of three Democratic sponsors of the legislation, said that he hopes to advance the measure by unanimous consent during the lame-duck session. He trumpeted the support of the industry’s largest companies: Hertz, Avis Budget, Dollar Thrifty and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which together make up more than 90 percent of the rental car market.
“We can move full speed ahead in the Senate,” Schumer said at a press conference. “We hope to pass it in the lame-duck with bipartisan support.”
Under current law, rental car companies are allowed to rent and sell vehicles that manufacturers have recalled for safety concerns. Enterprise, one of the largest privately held businesses in the nation, has long opposed efforts to regulate the industry and had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight the measure since it was introduced in 2011.
Today, that petition – launched by the mother of two girls who died after their recalled rental PT Cruiser caught fire due to leaking power steering fluid – has 162,000 signatures.
“We initially did not believe that federal oversight of car rental was necessary, but our customers let us know that they would be more comfortable with regulation in place and we quickly changed direction,” said Laura Bryant, a spokeswoman for Enterprise Holdings. “Some of them emailed us, some of them called. … At some point you realize if this is what your customers want, you need to deliver.”
The legislation, sponsored by Schumer, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), also has support from AAA, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and State Farm Insurance.
In July, California Reps. Lois Capps (D) and Elton Gallegly (R) introduced companion legislation that included language that the driver advocacy group Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety and Hertz agreed to this spring. Hertz, Enterprise and Avis all say they do not rent recalled cars, but that is not enough for consumer advocates.
The final bill includes an exception for so-called junk vehicles that rental car companies sell for their parts. It also allows the companies to rent recalled vehicles if a temporary fix is approved by the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Such a fix must eliminate any safety risk, not just mitigate it. For example, if a car is recalled for a defective cruise control system, the rental car company could continue to rent the vehicle as long as it disconnects the cruise control. But it could not resell the car until the cruise control system was fixed entirely.
Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Schumer, said the lawmakers do not expect opposition in the House or Senate.
“We are working with Senate Republicans and expect many of them to co-sponsor the legislation before we return in November,” he said in an email.


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Intel has shared details about its next generation of Thunderbolt, which might be another step toward a more universal port that works with several different products.
The brand recently previewed Thunderbolt 4.2, as it’s called, detailing its specifications and confirming that the port can “deliver up to three times the capability of Thunderbolt 4,” according to The Verge.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
The new Thunderbolt standard offers speeds up to 80 gigabits per second both ways and compatibility with existing Thunderbolt 4 cables up to one meter long, with the addition of a special mode that allows for 120Gbps speeds up and 40Gbps down when supporting several high-end monitors on a single cable.
These specs are very similar to those of the recently announced USB 4 version 2.0 standard that was unveiled by the USB Promoter Group last month, The Verge noted.
However, the new Thunderbolt standard has additional features, not only USB 4 version 2.0 specs but also support for DisplayPort 2.1 and twice faster PCIe throughput. Intel is doing its best to essentially future-proof the standard.
“Many portions of the USB4 v2 specification are optional leading to variability in implementation, Thunderbolt defines a higher bar and delivers the most complete solution,” Intel’s client computing group general manager, Jason Ziller told The Verge in an email.
Similarly, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced its latest DisplayPort 2.1 specification earlier this week but announced its DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) support back in March as an effort to bring standardization to the video port capabilities. With the Ultra-High Bit Rate (UHBR) certification, the cables will be labeled according to their transfer rates of “DP40” for 10 gigabits per second per lane or “DP80” for 20 gigabits per second per lane. The 40 and 80 represent the maximum bandwidth of the cables using all four lanes of the DisplayPort. Notably, many DisplayPort dongles use USB-style ports for their connectors.
Intel plans to share more details about the official branding of its new Thunderbolt standard in 2023.


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Although details are scarce, the close association Scion has drawn between the iM hatch and the new sedan suggests that the two could be related. The iM (like the Auris upon which it's based and the Matrix that came before) is already essentially a hatchback version of the Corolla sedan, which US buyers can find in Toyota showrooms. So whether the new sedan will be essentially a rehashed Corolla sedan, or something else entirely, remains to be seen. If Scion were to take a similar approach and bring over another Toyota model sold overseas, the new model could borrow heavily from the European-market Avensis or even Japan's Mark X.
Whatever form the car ultimately takes, however, this will be Scion's first sedan, believe it or not. The brand has previously offered only hatchbacks like the iQ, xD and xB, and two-door coupes like the FR-S and tC. The latter, for what it's worth, shares its underpinnings with the Avensis. Scion says the new sedan and the iM hatch will "represent two of the three new models Scion will bring to market in the next three years," so expect one more to follow sometime in the near future.
First-Ever Scion Sedan and Scion iM on the way
TORRANCE, Calif., (Jan. 7, 2015) – Like many others, Scion has a New Year's Resolution to debut an all-new body by spring. And not surprisingly, all eyes will be on its backside as Scion will be adding its first-ever sedan to its line-up.
The new sedan will be introduced in April at the New York International Auto Show along with the all-new Scion iM. The iM is the official name for the production version of the iM Concept car shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
Together, the two vehicles represent two of the three new models Scion will bring to market in the next three years aimed at independently minded 18-34 year olds. The trio will bring exciting options for Scion's younger customers looking for vehicles to support both adventure and sensibility.
"With the iM hatchback and our first sedan, we're inviting drivers to re-imagine what they can accomplish with a Scion," said Scion Group Vice President Doug Murtha. "Both new models will stand out in the marketplace for their style and substance. I can confidently predict that 2015 will be an exciting year for Scion."
Beyond the name, drivers can expect the production iM to carry forward some of the sporty looks and versatility displayed in the concept version. More details on both the production iM and sedan will be available in coming months. Information on the iM Concept is available at www.scion.com/iMConcept.


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Sign We Love Pets: We Spent $58 Billion on Them Last Year
A new report from the American Pet Products Association notes that many people are spending lavishly on one of the most important things in their lives: the animal that loves them unconditionally. The generation gap may be at play, the association suggests.
Here’s one thing that doesn’t bite if you work in the pet-supply industry: According to new statistics from the American Pet Products Association, the industry saw $58 billion in spending in 2014, a record high, and a jump of 4.2 percent from the year before. And if current projections keep up, 2015 could be even bigger.
“The pet industry continues to outpace most other retail segments, and for 2015 we are projecting to surpass the $60 billion mark, which demonstrates the strength and vitality of this industry,” APPA President and CEO Bob Vetere said in a news release.
So what’s driving the success? Part of it may be an increase in households that own pets. At last week’s Global Pet Expo, Vetere told the audience that 79.7 million households in the U.S. include pets—a jump of 50 percent over the past two decades. Even more impressive, 10 percent of pet owners are new, meaning that roughly 8 million households have taken on a pet within the past year. The numbers, from the 2015-2016 National Pet Owners Survey, highlight a generational change that could be very favorable to the pet-services industry.
In other words, the millennials love their dogs and cats—something that the rise of animated cat GIFs exemplifies.
“This is really exciting as the industry as a whole has been trying to engage Gen Y in pet ownership the way generations before them did,” Vetere said. “These numbers demonstrate huge potential for the industry to grow with up-and-coming, new pet owners.”
(On the flip side, boomers may be getting past the point of wanting to manage a pet. “We knew this was coming as the generation that started the humanization and pampering of pets is aging,” Vetere added.)
One weak spot for the industry is the purchase of live animals. That segment saw $2.1 billion in sales in 2014, down 3.6 percent from the year before.
The cause is unclear (perhaps Fido is living a little bit longer, or maybe regulatory issues with certain kinds of animals are dissuading potential owners?), but the association said it had been prepared for such a decline.


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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) update
April 9, 2020: The start dates for the single-use item by-laws for straws, utensils, cups, and shopping bags remain unchanged.
However, we're suspending education, outreach, and enforcement for these by-laws until further notice.
The City's priority is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring essential services continue uninterrupted.
86% of residents see the importance of reducing single-use items. In Vancouver, becoming zero waste is part of who we are.
We’re taking bold actions to reduce waste and litter from single-use items and are committed to working with businesses, charities, and not-for-profits to affect long-lasting change.
By-law details on the ban on foam cups and foam take-out containers.
By-law details on the plastic straw ban, flexible plastic straw requirement for accessibility, and one-year bubble tea exemption.
By-law details on single-use utensils.
By-law details on the plastic shopping bag ban, and fees on paper and reusable shopping bags.
By-law details for fees on single-use beverage cups.
We're working with Vancouver Coastal Health to look at opportunities to launch a reusable take-out container initiative.


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Healthy Hero takes UK bow
The success of Hero Foods' natural fruit drink Fruit2day not only confirms the strength of the wellness trend but the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for beverages with real health credentials. The company is following up successful launches in Germany and the Netherlands with a UK debut and is also looking further afield. Ute Ballay reports.
Next month sees the UK launch of Hero Foods' wellness brand Fruit2day. With more and more firms targeting Europe's booming wellness segment, it takes something a bit special to stand out in the crowd. Early signs are that Hero may have pulled of that difficult trick with Fruit2day. The packaging helps - giant images of exotic fruits on a figure-of-eight bottle. But it is the content - described as "drinkable fruit" by the Swiss food group - that has opened up a niche market for Fruit2day somewhere between fruit juices and probiotic drinks.
The brand name refers to Hero's claim that a bottle of Fruit2day provides the two daily portions of fruit recommended by most public health campaigns. It promotes the drink as the first genuine substitute for fresh fruit. Fruit2day comes in three flavours - pineapple and banana, orange and strawberry, and mango and peach. It is sugar- and additive-free, with fruit chunks in a fruit purée solution. The 200ml plastic bottles are available individually and in multipacks.
Sales growth in the Netherlands has been spectacular since the brand's March 2005 launch. Industry sceptics said sensible Dutch consumers would not pay Hero's hefty price (a twin pack of Fruit2day retails at between EUR1.49 and EUR1.69) for little more than chopped fruit in fancy packaging. Why buy a more expensive substitute for fresh fruit if the real thing is readily available? It seems a fair question, but not one that troubles Dutch shoppers. With over 20m units sold this year, in a market of just 16m people, Fruit2day is already an established brand in the Netherlands.
"The introduction of Fruit2day in the Netherlands went tremendously well," said Heinz von Kempen, chairman of Hero's German unit Schwartauer Werke. "We aim to repeat that success in Germany." Fruit2day launched in Europe's biggest soft drinks market in the summer, and is already one of the fastest growing soft drink brands. The German launch campaign laid great stress on scientific backing for Hero's nutritional claims - precious endorsements in such a health-aware market.
Valuable too is the bottle's '5 a day' logo, a token that its healthy living credentials are accepted by the German Health Ministry. Hero's use of all natural ingredients also goes down well in Germany, where the bio-sector is one of the economy's few growth stories. Demand for chilled ready-to-drink products is also strong, up some 15% last year to almost EUR700m.
By the autumn, Hero was scaling back TV advertising over concerns that the Bad Schwertau plant could not meet demand. Early estimates of low double-digit turnover in the launch year have been left well behind. "We are stunned by the level of demand, which is running far ahead of our best projections," said Hero's CEO Stefan Heidenreich. A third production line has just begun operating at the north German plant. Heidenreich expects that demand for Fruit2day alone will boost the parent company's modest 2% annual growth rates of recent years.
Heidenreich has totally restructured Hero over the last decade - a process that included the sale of leading juice brands Lindavia and Klindworth. Today it concentrates almost entirely on premium health-food brands and ingredients. Fruit2day is one of several new Hero lines feeding the public appetite for wellness and convenience. The group has suffered in the past from cheaper copycat lines springing up to undercut their premium brands. Germany's powerful discount chains are very aggressive in speeding-up the cycle of innovation and imitation. "The fact that the trade imitates top brands makes genuine innovation all the more important for leading producers," said von Kempen.
Hero expects its fruit division's latest creation to stay free of me-too lines for some time. One reason is the exclusive long-term contract signed with the plant supplier for Fruit2day's purée production lines. The plant uses new technology unique to Bad Schwertau, and Hero aims to keep it that way for as long as possible. Each unit costs the firm over EUR10m. The Schleswig-Holstein plant supplies all three national markets.
Add a big promotional spend to the initial EUR20m investment in R&D and new plant, and launching a premium soft drink from scratch is not cheap. Hero has allocated GBP11m over the next two years for UK marketing alone, including an initial GBP4m campaign in the local, national and consumer press. Building a wellness drink also requires brand backing from a well-established and trusted name.
Fruit2day profits from the financial clout and solid image of parent company Oetker, although the German food group is more associated with pizzas than innovative wellness drinks. But Oetker's backing - added to Hero's own good name and substantial SFr1.3bn turnover - puts Fruit2day in the same premier league as wellness brands from rival food multinationals Nestlé (Nestlé Fitness) and Danone (Actimel).
Hero is also well placed to push Fruit2day as an international brand. "Today Europe alone is not a sufficient market for our products," Heidenreich said. He aims to detach Hero from the slow-growth markets of Western Europe and become a global player, lifting turnover by 50% to SFr2bn by 2009. This might seem a pipedream for a firm which employs just 15 staff at its provincial Swiss head office. Yet Hero has already built close ties with fast-growing Asian markets. It has a joint venture project with dominant Turkish food group Ulker. In the medium term, Heidenreich wants to increase non-European turnover from the current 10% to 50%, building sales in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Product innovation is another key area; Hero is developing new R&D centres in Spain and Germany.
The company seems genuinely surprised by Fruit2day's booming sales figures in the Netherlands and Germany. The UK market may prove tougher, with the product up against some well-established smoothie brands such as innocent and PJs. Yet the wellness wave is still building and was one of the big themes at this year's Anuga trade fair in Cologne.
Source: Soft Drinks International
For further information on Soft Drinks International, go to www.softdrinksjournal.com
PepsiCo has denied press reports that it is looking to acquire Groupe Danone....
In a tough market for the home and office delivery segment of the US water market, Danone may have to cut the value of its subsidiary DS Waters, the UK's Financial Times reported today....
Groupe Danone is pulling out of the brewing industry....
Danone has completed another share buyback transaction....
Danone and Yakult have announced a joint venture to sell probiotic products in India. The move marks the first entrance by either company into the Indian market, in which they are aiming to become lea...
Danone has announced plans for a joint venture in India with Japan's Yakult Honsha Co. ...
France's Groupe Danone said on Friday that it had finally reached an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company to amend their existing deal regarding the distribution of retail bottled water products in No...
Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, the chairman of International Beverage Holdings Limited, today announced the appointment of Barrie Jackson as president of InterBev with effect from 1st June 2005. ...
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“If you do not see what is behind that which you see/ You are as blind as blind can be.” This couplet from the Tamil classic, the Tirukkural, is a perfect key for decoding the strange state of our economy. At a time when the major world powers are seeing spectres of the 2008 global financial meltdown—and emerging market peers like Brazil, Russia and China are in deep trouble—the Indian economy appears to be in relatively fine form. ‘Appears’, of course, is the operative word. For nothing—not the massive domestic market, not the glowing growth numbers, not the thumbs-up sign from foreign investors—can hide a growing sense of disquiet. The stock markets are at their lowest since Narendra Modi took over; the rupee is at a two-year low against the dollar; rural demand is sluggish and agricultural distress is real; export figures are showing a steep fall; residential property prices are frozen; private investment by Indian companies remains stagnant. Unofficial estimates hint that the balance sheets of four out of five commodity companies are stressed. This puts increasing pressure on India’s banking system, already creaking under bad debts. Few sectors are breaking the trend of low growth. Automobiles are one exception, but who knows how long even that will last. Growth in consumer goods is also down, confirming the weakness of demand in rural areas.
How is the government going to get us out of this rut when there’s so little room to boost confidence via major reforms? To be sure, it is serving up the classic formula—forget fiscal deficits, increase spending in infrastructure and agriculture, put money in the hands of people. And recently, the government changed norms for public-private partnerships to lower the risk for private players; it has also reformed defence procurement norms; the Indian Railways has also raised large amounts of funds. The intention is to stoke an infrastructure-led boom. The only problem is that companies and consumers prefer to wait and watch. They are seeing what the government’s growth numbers are failing to hide.


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Beware of toxic school supplies
With an estimated 27.8 million students heading back to school on Monday, an environment and health watchdog has cautioned parents anew on purchasing school supplies containing toxic chemicals.
Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of school supplies should also ensure that the materials they are selling are properly labeled, and that these are completely safe for children to use, EcoWaste Coalition also said.
On the lookout
“Parents should be on the lookout for items that may contain hazardous chemicals, such as cadmium, lead and phtalates,” said Thony Dizon, the group’s chemical safety campaigner.
While many school materials are harmless, some may contain undisclosed chemicals that are banned or restricted due to their adverse effect on health and the environment, Dizon said.
EcoWaste Coalition said its personnel bought a number of school supplies, many of which were lacking labels, from street vendors and retail stores in Divisoria and Quiapo in Manila, where materials are sold at lower prices, and in Pasay, Makati and Quezon City.
Levels of concern
Using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence device, the group scanned art materials, bags, water containers and rain gears, as well as accessories for school children, such as hair clips.
Out of 87 samples, 34 were found to have lead and/or cadmium above levels of concern.
Lead was detected in 32 samples that exceeded the regulatory limit of 90 parts per million. It was found highest in the Artex Fine Water Colors (bright yellow cake) at 86,000 ppm. The water color brand was banned by the Food and Drug Administration as early as 2014 for its high lead levels.
Even a simple Doraemon bag tag had lead levels of up to 3,659 ppm, while a Hello Kitty backpack had 1,879 ppm.
Cadmium was also found in at least 12 samples, including raincoats and backpacks.
According to the World Health Organization, lead exposure can cause lifelong learning and behavioral problems among children, and hypertension and other health issues among adults.
“Even relatively low levels of exposure can cause serious and, in some cases, irreversible neurological damage,” EcoWaste Coalition said.
Cadmium has been classified as carcinogenic to humans. It has also been associated with birth defects and learning disabilities.
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SHETLAND’s own almighty Valhalla ales are now being exported to the land of the Vikings to wet thirsty Norwegian throats.
The owner of Britain’s most northerly brewery, Sonny Priest, revealed on Thursday that he had finally broken into the Norwegian market and already sent three shipments of beer across the North Sea.
In conjunction with the Norwegian company ABC Brewery he has also developed a new special brew that goes under the name Vinland Bitter; the first samples of this “Pilsner style’ beer were only brewed a few weeks ago.
Priest said that supplying the Norwegian market is helping him to even out the “huge slump” he experiences every winter when the tourism trade dies away and locals revert to cans.
Priest started brewing beer on his home island of Unst in the late nineties after being made redundant as a fire fighter when the oil industry airstrip in Baltasound closed.
Last year he moved into newly refurbished premises at the former RAF base in nearby Haroldswick, thereby doubling the capacity of his small brewery to 144,000 litres annually.
He said it had been an ambition to do business with Norway for a long time, and now Valhalla ales were available at pubs in Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger.
“We did some work with Norway about four years ago, but this is something regular that we have got set up now. It is small to begin with, but it is picking up,” he said.
He added that the beer was supplied in newly developed plastic kegs that kept the beers fresh until the last drop.
He said he also noticed more difficult trading conditions across the UK as beer lovers tighten their belts and more micro breweries are established, with Shetland’s remoteness becoming a disadvantage rather than a selling point.
“The UK is getting more and more difficult to do business in because there are so many breweries now. This is changing the whole dynamic altogether,” he said.
“People are far more price conscious than they were ever before. The uniqueness of where we brew and what we are doing used to sell our product no problem. That is not the case any longer.
“You have to be competitive on price in the UK. We struggle to do that. We have added cost and now also added ferry fares. The ferry fares are the one thing that can screw up everything for the north isles.”


text: Sharper Image Corporation created a new licensing division with a goal of attracting manufacturers and retailers across a broad range of categories while also expanding its consumer base. The company also will provide licensing opportunities on other intellectual properties, including patents and trademarks. The new licensing division will be led by newly hired Senior Vice President of Brand Licensing John W. Spotts. Categories under consideration will include electronics, computers and communications, personal care, automotive, bed and bath, kitchen, home and home furnishings, luggage and travel, fitness and well-being, apparel, toys and games, and unique gifts. Products will be sold into mid-tier and better retail channels, such as electronics, specialty, and department stores with an on-shelf presence as early as fall 2007. Licensees also will have the opportunity to sell into Sharper Image’s retail stores, catalogs, and e-commerce Website.


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Saturday Share Tips
Here are the brokers' views published in the City pages of today's Daily Mail. First, the 'broker buys'.
Merrill Lynch says buy Ultraframe at 506p as it says recent falls look overdone. It feels the underlying position supports a continued growth rating.
Seymour Pierce says buy Fulcrum Pharma at 9.75p as it is the first independent company to offer global virtual drug development and strategic outsourcing to the drugs industry.
ABN Amro says buy Exel at 1055p as it feels the recent Ford contract win will be followed by other wins before the year end.
ING Barings says buy Sunderland at 365p as it feels its balance sheet remains strong, and cash flow has improved significantly, providing room for manoeuvre.
Teather & Greenwood says buy Sage at 480p as it feels the firm is very well placed long-term to capitalise on the e-revolution and other diversification opportunities.
SG says buy Morgan Crucible at 244p as it feels the group now has the ability to produce genuine organic growth. It says a fair value is 275p.
Credit Suisse First Boston says buy Scottish & Southern Energy at 568p as it says it can provide strong, predictable earnings and a good yield in an uncertain climate.
Here are the 'broker sells'
Dealwise says take profits on Fitness First at 1200p based on pure valuation grounds and a reduced earnings per share outlook.
Credit Lyonnais Securities says reduce J Sainsbury at 380p as it says most of the scope for further share price rises depend on hopes that industry consolidation will resume and involve Sainsbury.
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'Bloodline' to End at Netflix After Season 3 (Report)
Netflix’s hit show Bloodline reportedly will not get a fourth season, THR reports.
The Sony Pictures Television-produced series was renewed for a third season earlier this summer, set to debut in 2017 on the streaming service. Netflix apparently recently told Sony that the 2017 season would be the last.
Kyle Chandler stars in the series, which has two seasons available to stream right now on the service. It’s unclear if Sony will shop the series to any other networks.
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available…


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LG Optimus LTE2
Read this article hotklixed More than a Year Ago! LG's officially announced a new entry into their LG Optimus Line. We're looking at the LG Optimus LTE2, and with some of the features LG's touting we.
By shah mohd | More than a Year Ago


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Chrysler Group plant in Toledo, Ohio, will be visited next week by President Barack Obama, according to a White House official. This was reported by the Web site of The Blade newspaper of Toledo. A Chrysler spokeswoman didn’t give further details except to say that Obama will go to one of Chrysler's Toledo-area plants.
A source said that the visit is likely scheduled for Friday. When Chrysler announced its repayment of $5.1 billion in loans to the U.S. Treasury last Tuesday, Obama was in Europe.
Instead, Obama’s manufacturing representative, Ron Bloom, went to Chrysler's Sterling Heights, Mich., assembly plant last Tuesday for the celebration.
With this visit in Toledo, Obama will get the chance to mark the significant event. Chrysler is set to make an announcement of its investment plans for the Toledo Assembly Complex, which comprises two factories. Toledo Supplier Park builds the Jeep Wrangler while Toledo North makes the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro.
Chrysler has yet to reveal what it plans long-term for Toledo. Last January, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that it will announce an investment within six months.
Back then, Marchionne said that Chrysler was near to making a decision on what will replace the Liberty and Nitro, which were two of the few vehicles that weren’t revamped in Chrysler's 2011 product campaign. The Toledo North plant only has a single shift. Chrysler’s Toledo Machining Plant operates in nearby Perrysburg.


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Knoxville, IA — (May 10, 2016) — The world’s most prestigious sprint car event and the famed Knoxville Raceway just got a shot of energy for its 2016 running of the Knoxville Nationals.
The famed dirt track, located just minutes from Des Moines, Iowa on the Marion County Fairgrounds, is proud to announce the makers of 5-hour ENERGY® as the title sponsor of the 56th running of the Knoxville Nationals, a four-day sprint car championship to be held August 10-13.
5-hour ENERGY®, distributed by Michigan-based Living Essentials, LLC, has been a mainstay in NASCAR for the past several years as a sponsor of teams, drivers, and tracks, supporting the various programs through national advertising and retail campaigns. This is the company’s first foray into title sponsorship of an iconic grassroots event.
“We support racing in general because of the incredible fan loyalty,” said Rise’ Meguiar, Vice President of Sales for Living Essentials. “Fans of dirt track and sprint car racing are even more devoted to their sport and we are honored they’re welcoming 5-hour ENERGY® into their family.”
Casey’s General Stores, a long-standing partner with Knoxville Raceway, will continue as the presenting sponsor of the 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals, creating a natural retail relationship.
“The association with Casey’s General Stores will enable Living Essentials, LLC to promote the Nationals and 5-hour ENERGY® shots throughout their retail locations in the region by way of special displays,” added Meguiar. “We are really excited about the possibilities together.”
The 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores features more than 100 of sprint car racing’s greatest drivers from around the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Nearly 21,000 fans converge upon Knoxville for the annual event.
“King of the Outlaws” Steve Kinser remains the winningest Knoxville Nationals driver with 12 victories. Donny Schatz, the defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, has nine Nationals victories, all of which have occurred in the last 10 years.
The 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores will also feature live music on select nights, the annual Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation Tony Stewart Kick-It Cup fundraiser featuring Gordon, Stewart and other NASCAR drivers, the Knoxville Nationals parade downtown and more.
More exciting Knoxville Nationals preliminary race title sponsors will be announced soon, including all major event entitlements for the 360 Nationals, Late Model Nationals and Capitani Classic.
Tickets for the four-day 5-hour ENERGY® Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores are available online at www.knoxvilleraceway.com or by phone at 641-842-5431.


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Netflix’s global ambitions are well-known, but in which countries are they capturing viewers and in which ones are they lagging? eMarketer tracks over-the-top (OTT) subscription video users worldwide, and our latest forecast provides some answers. In primarily English-language countries, Netflix has a clear track record of success, with a majority of OTT users in those markets using its services. But if it hasn’t filled out its slate of localized content, adoption is slower.
In North America, Netflix is a leading subscription OTT video service. We forecast the number of subscription OTT video service viewers in the US will rise 11.1% to 170.1 million this year, equating to 51.7% of the population. And we expect 86.8% of US subscription OTT video service users will watch Netflix at least once per month.
The UK ranks as the most mature subscription OTT market in the EU-5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK), with 36.5% of internet users streaming OTT services. Amazon Prime Video and Netflix had a relatively easy entrance to the UK due to their large offering of English-language content. Netflix also established a partnership with pay TV service Sky to offer its platform to subscribers. This year, Netflix will account for 74.0% of subscription OTT users in the UK.
Australia stands out in Asia-Pacific as the market where Netflix is most heavily penetrated. Viewership is more comparable to North America and Western Europe, with 73.8% of subscription OTT users watching Netflix. Its large library of English content and the popularity of OTT services (42.0% of internet users) made entry relatively easy.
In Canada, if Netflix was measured like traditional broadcasters—with weekly time spent figures and reach metrics across age, gender and regions—there is little doubt it would be a challenger for the No. 1 network in the country. Since its debut in Canada in 2010, the first non-US market launched by Netflix, it has reached north of 50% of the English-speaking population in most estimates. We forecast the number of subscription OTT video viewers in Canada will reach 17.4 million this year—more than 13 million of whom will be Netflix viewers. But it’s penetration among French-speaking Canadians is much lower, due to its having less programming tailored to this audience and some in-country regulations around local content creation aimed at ensuring cultural relevancy.
In France, Netflix faces a similar challenge due to regulations in the country: Films cannot appear on pay TV movie channels for 10 to 12 months after their theatrical release, whereas subscription OTT platforms must wait 36 months past theatrical release. This rule has led to the weakest adoption of subscription OTT services among the EU-5, at 18.3% of internet users.
Germany’s subscription OTT video audience will grow faster than any other EU-5 market this year, climbing 24.5%. Millennials are driving the adoption, drawn to subscription services’ collection of box-office hits and German-dubbed content. Netflix has been less successful signing up individuals ages 50 and older, who are still loyal to traditional TV. In 2018, 70.3% of Germany's OTT video service users will access Netflix.
Spain is just behind Germany in subscription OTT video viewer growth, and Netflix already has a large library of Spanish-language content from its experience in markets across Latin America. In 2018, 55.9% of subscription OTT viewers in Spain will use Netflix. By 2022, that share will rise to 68.1%—comparable to the 71.0% rate in the EU-5.
Netflix’s penetration of subscription OTT video users in Asia-Pacific will advance from 11.8% this year to 14.3% in 2020. Aside from a lack of localized content—Australia withstanding—its challenges are the same as other OTT players in the region. Asia-Pacific is home to one of the most competitive OTT markets in the world. The region has the highest growth potential for subscribers and Netflix and local video services are building libraries of content to drive interest. OTT investment into Asia-Pacific will spur the fastest subscriber growth rate worldwide in 2018, rising 35.2% to 331.5 million.
In India, consumers are opting to stick with traditional TV and ad-supported platforms like Hotstar and YouTube. High prices and a lack of localized content on OTT platforms have deterred adoption. Local players Zee and Viu offer programs in a handful of dialects, catering to a wide number of consumers. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video primarily provide content in English and Hindi. Prime Video is addressing this issue through the addition of regional titles, whereas Netflix has not yet made the same investment. In 2018, only 1.7% of internet users in India will watch Netflix.
In Japan, Netflix launched in September 2015 and amassed more Japanese titles than US titles on its platform. Yet subscription OTT penetration in Japan has reached only 16.0% of internet users. Despite Netflix’s heavy investment in Japan, only 17.0% of subscription OTT users will use the platform by the end of 2018. Japan is home to older affluent consumers who regularly watch free-to-air (FTA) channels. Although these individuals can afford OTT platforms, they view the services as more of a complement to FTA programming.
eMarketer PRO subscribers can access the recent OTT video reports below:
eMarketer PRO subscribers can also track OTT subscriber trends in Europe and Asia-Pacific with our latest forecast, available now. Subscribers can also read about Canada’s streaming video market in this report.
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In the latest episode of "Behind the Numbers," we look at what’s going with the subscription OTT video market in the EU-5 countries.
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- Business of Brands
- 2 min read
Google used loss of Map’s traffic to Apple as "data point", says executive in court
During the ongoing antitrust trial against Google-parent Alphabet Inc., a Google executive revealed that the company only regained 40% of the mobile traffic it previously had on its mapping service after Apple dropped Google Maps as the default on iPhones. The executive used the switch to Apple Maps as a "data point" to model the potential impact if Google's search engine was replaced as the default on Apple's Safari browser. The trial alleges that Google illegally maintained a monopoly by paying billions to remain the default search engine on web browsers and smartphones.
Two years after Apple dropped Google Maps as its default service on iPhones in favour of its own app, Google had regained only 40% of the mobile traffic it used to have on its mapping service, this was revealed by Google executive during testimony in the ongoing antitrust trial against Google-parent Alphabet Inc company.
According to a report in Bloomberg, Michael Roszak, Google vice president for finance, said that the company used the Apple Maps switch as “a data point” when modelling what might happen if the iPhone maker replaced Google’s search engine as the default on Apple’s Safari browser.
In an email sent in June 2020, Roszak reportedly shared data on how Apple’s switch affected Google Maps usage on iPhones with his then-supervisor. “Almost 2 years later we were at ~40% of the prior peak (and assumed the actual loss was greater since Apple Maps usage was also growing across this time),” Roszak wrote in an email shown in court. Roszak further added that he wasn’t aware of any data that Google keeps on how many users change the search default on their browser or mobile phone. The Apple Maps example was “one data point we have used” to estimate how iPhone owners might react to a change in the search default, he said.
What is the antitrust trial against Google
The Justice Department alleges that Google has illegally maintained a monopoly over online search by paying billions of dollars to ensure its search engine remains the default option on web browsers and smartphones. The government claims that Google bribed smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung and the browser-maker Mozilla to be their featured search engine, funnelling far more data to Google and cutting off competitors.
Google’s largest deal is with Apple, which set Google as the default on Safari in exchange for a share of the revenue that the search engine earns through advertising. The exact amount of money that Google pays Apple for its default status is not known.
The Justice Department's opening statement claimed Google paid between $4 billion and $7 billion for the default on Safari in 2020, however, Apple raised strong objection to the same. Apple’s lawyers said that the figure was a public estimate and not the actual figure.


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Downtown businesses wading through tough economy in Craig
August 17, 2010
Karen Brown, president of the Downtown Business Association in Craig, used one word to describe how the downtown businesses lining Yampa Avenue and West Victory Way are doing in the bad economy.
"I think sales are down and it's partly the economy," she said. "I think people are just hanging on to their money."
Foot traffic downtown, Brown said, is about the same, but shoppers are being more frugal about how they spend money.
"I think that the (businesses) that are here are working hard to make it work," she said.
Although business in the area has been down, there has been some new activity downtown.
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The Jungle pet shop, owned by Clint Gabbert, opened in March at 565 Yampa Ave.
Sharyn's Upscale Consignment moved into the location previously owned by Zumba Fitness at 29 W. Victory Way, from a previous location at 124 W. Victory Way.
Zumba Fitness has moved into the Trapper Fitness Center at 261 Commerce St.
However, Brown said, several downtown businesses have either moved or gone out of business.
The building previously occupied by Pro Image Photography at 518 Yampa Ave. is still for sale, Brown said.
Pinky's Palace, located at 519 Yampa Ave., recently went out of business as well, Brown said.
However, Renata Beason, owner of The Embroidery Shoppe, said she will move her business into the building and plans to open the store Sept. 1.
"I hate to have empty businesses downtown," Brown said. "It's so bad for everybody when you have a business that is empty downtown, but nobody wants to start a business right now when the economy is so bad."
But, Brown said, there are events that are helping downtown businesses during the summer months, like the farmer's market in Alice Pleasant Park.
"The farmer's market really seems to have been a help because … people just start coming in," she said. "They'll stop in and even if they don't spend anything, it is just good exposure for us."
Nadine Daszkiewicz, owner of The Kitchen Shop at 577 Yampa Ave., said her business is holding its own.
"We are doing OK," she said. "Business could always be better. I think everybody downtown is pretty much holding steady."
Daszkiewicz said business has risen from the first quarter of the year, but that is not unusual seasonal activity.
"I've had years that were better and I have had years that are worse," she said.
Daszkiewicz said Craig hasn't been "hit as badly as a lot of other parts of the country."
"I think that a lot of people are being very cautious on their spending, which I can understand, because I think there is a real concern as far as the future of the economy, especially locally," she said.
Jackie Roberts, owner of the Hair Loft, a salon, and Under the Aspen Tree, a small gifts store, said retail sales have been slow since January.
"Really slow as a matter of fact," she said. "As far as the (salon) service … that has stayed busy."
Roberts contends the other businesses on her block are in the same position.
"It seems like here it just goes in little spurts," she said.
During the bad economy, Roberts said she had to decrease the amount of inventory she carried in Under the Aspen Tree.
"I'm not carrying near the merchandise that I did have," she said. "… It is not going to do me any good just to set it on the shelf. I really don't have any foot traffic coming through. Not even people really looking like we used to."
But, despite the bad economy and some downtown businesses struggling, Brown contends the downtown businesses will pull through.
"I think we'll always be here," she said. "I think there will always be something downtown. It is such a pretty little downtown."


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The Best Tech Show for the Common Man available via Podcast
Honolulu, Hawaii. (June 2, 2005) Podcast Connect, Inc., parent company of GeekNewsCentral.com, one of the top technical podcast worldwide, announced today a major long-term sponsorship deal with GoDaddy.com. The Geek News Central Podcast is produced and released twice weekly on Tuesday and Friday at 6 a.m. (EST).
“This is one of the first long-term sponsorship deals to hit the Podcasting Channel,” says Todd Cochrane, host of the Geek News Central Podcast, and author of the first book on podcasting, “Podcasting: The Do It Yourself Guide” (www.amazon.com).
Geek News Central is uniquely positioned to deliver great incentives for Go Daddy products and services in the coming months. Readers of the Geek News Central website and listeners of the Geek News Central podcast will be able to take advantage of special pricing on Go Daddy products.
Cochrane says this is the perfect marketing fit. “I have used Go Daddy products for a long time, and their product line is one I endorse and stand behind.”
The Geek News Central website is currently hosted on a Go Daddy Virtual Dedicated Server. Additionally, Cochrane has over 30 domains registered through the Go Daddy domain registration service.
The Geek News Central website is where Cochrane and his crew of associate editors talk about technology, fair use, DRM, and other significant world events. Cochrane’s podcast is a reflection of the website. His shows and website cover important issues including strong family values (his show is child safe and educational). Not only does Todd talk tech and bring the topics down to a level that the average person can understand, but he also has his thumb on the heartbeat of the podcasting community.
About Podcast Connect, Inc.
Podcast Connect Inc. (www.podcastconnect.com) is the world’s leading innovator in podcast marketing, with administrative management of the fast-growing Tech Podcasts Network (www.techpodcasts.com), They also host and manage the 2005 People’s Choice Podcast Awards (www.podcastawards.com), which gets underway on June 15, 2005. The Podcast Connect Team is fast developing itself into a powerhouse marketing arm for the Podcasting Community. Their mission statement is simple: podcasters do the work, podcasters get paid. Their model is based on trust and respect with good moral and family values.


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Andile Qokweni, Business Unit Manager at The MediaShop
On Friday the 8th of November a common man like you and me was spotted proposing to a woman at a KFC. I’m sure when he played this scenario in his head, he had very little idea how this proposal would actually change his life in the short term. The man was recorded on camera and his actions were very quickly shared on social media.
The initial response to this noble action was very negative – one person on Twitter ranted: “SA men are broke they even propose at KFC…They have absolutely no class, I mean who proposes at KFC?? #KFCProposal”. But here was an opportunity for the brand to turn negative sentiment to positive because love is inherently free, it cannot be bought, sold or traded, even though the initial sentiment alluded to the fact that in modern times there’s a value associated to love.
As soon as KFC saw the opportunity to reinforce some of these “love” principles, the video went viral and a nationwide search for the couple began with South African social media going into overdrive to find Nonhlanhla Soldaat and Hector Mkansi, the country’s newest sweethearts. Engagement offers went through the roof as KFC gave consumers incentive to help them find this couple.
McDonalds responded as the brand which “loves things”, offering an all-expenses paid trip to Cape Town for the Toni Braxton concert. Standard Bank offered to clear the couple’s debt – if they are Standard Bank customers. Audi offered the couple luxurious transport to their wedding destination. Puma offered clothing, Huawei gave the couple phones to take pictures on their honeymoon. KroneMCC would also ensure the newly-weds are toasted with some fine sparkling wine and many, many more brands got in on the action.
South Africans were now calling it ‘their wedding’ and by the end of the day 30 brands had come forward to offer an additional experience for what had started as a negative tweet about proposing at KFC. So it’s clear, brands can mobilise and put aside rivalry or competition and do what is seen to be right by consumers and the general public.
This is where I’m going to flip the script a bit – at what point did this reach saturation? Was it after the tenth brand got involved, or was it after the third bank made an offer? Or maybe after the fifth FMCG brand offered the couple food? Don’t get me wrong, I would love the country and all its blue chip brands tripping over themselves to make my wedding a success but as a marketer I did take a step back and ask some tough questions.
If I was a victim of the recent KZN hurricane and storms for example, would I not expect these brands to offer the same level of support for me and why that couple for that matter? Many South Africans will tie the knot as this is wedding season after all, so why are brands not lining up to assist them?
If we refer back to The MediaShop’s Media Landscape series where Maggie Pronto, Isla Prentis and I looked at what type of content works, we touched on the importance of relevance of content produced by brands for consumption and we arrived at five key things, which distinguish great content.
- Move At The Speed Of Culture
- Be distinctive
- Offer an experience
- Embed your purpose
- Invest appropriately
KFC, as the brand to really bring all of this together, lived up to the principles above but in my opinion many of the other brands just wanted to jump onto the bandwagon. KFC identified the need to turn this story that begun at one of their stores into a positive legacy. By identifying the opportunity they made it distinctive for their brand, they offered an experience and one could go as far as to say it was embedded into their “Add Hope” initiative even if this was not targeted at kids per say, it still fits into that “bucket”.
At the recent AMASA Awards, one of the judges, Wandisile Nkabinde, mentioned that for brands to be successful it’s not just about arriving, it’s about how you arrive. Julio Rodrigues then went on to say it’s not just about pushing performing metrics all the time, it’s not always about reach, frequency and impressions and this is exactly how I feel about some of the brands that joined the party very late.
It’s not for me to say who those brands are but the only questions that need answering now is “Who is flying me to the wedding and who will pay for my accommodation?”


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News > Healthtech startup Onsurity gets $16 million from Quona Capital, others
Healthtech startup Onsurity gets $16 million from Quona Capital, others
04/08/2021 01:14 PM | Click to read full article
Onsurity, an employee health benefits platform, has raised $16 million in a Series A funding round led by Quona Capital and existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and Whiteboard Capital. Entrepreneur Vivek Garipalli, the founder and chief executive officer of Clover Healthcare, also participated in the fundraising
The company will use the funds to build its healthcare platform and offerings.


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Fifteen years after its TV debut on Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants remains an international pop culture icon with expanded merchandise lines and new collaborations.
Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced plans for a new animated film, Moana, which is scheduled to hit theaters in late 2016.
StoryToys and The Eric Carle Studio have released of “My Very Hungry Caterpillar,” the first fully interactive 3D app based on the Eric Carle character.
Entertainment One Licensing’s Peppa Pig is stepping onto the printed page with a new magazine from Redan Publishing, as well as a trio of other new licensees.
KidQuest, the app that provides interactive children’s crafts, experiments and activities, has announced partnerships with four leading children’s brands.
Nickelodeon has signed on to broadcast “WWE Slam City,” WWE’s kids' animated short-form series, on the NickSports programming block on Nicktoons.
Next Monday, "Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest" returns to PBS Kids, kicking off the ninth season of the series with a week of new episodes.
Universal Partnerships & Licensing has tapped Mega Brands to develop a new kids' construction line based on the Despicable Me franchise.
Dubai Parks and Resorts has teamed with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a Sony Pictures Studio and Smurfs Zone at the upcoming Motiongate Dubai theme park.
Parham Santana recently secured a new deal with Euro Ceramica to bring Turner Classic Movies to the table.
The kids' world Kuboo.com is bringing the classic character Popeye to its online experience in a new deal with Hearst's King Features.
A new range of t-shirts showcasing King Features characters Popeye and Olive Oyl has debuted at Urban Outfitters in the U.K.
A raft of brands are set to make character appearances and host activities at the annual U.K. kids’ festival LolliBop, Aug. 15-17.
Sanrio is launching Hello Kitty’s first permanent attraction in Europe at the Drusillas Park zoo in East Sussex, England.
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled details of the upcoming new attraction Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
Kaynak Licensing and Turkish retailer LC Waikiki are teaming to create a clothing range featuring the kids’ TV series “Niloya.”
Licensing agencies Perryscope and Epic Rights have been named to jointly manage a global program for the Woodstock brand.
American soda brand Big Red is hosting a promotion for Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Corus Entertainment's Nelvana has appointed two new licensing agents for Franklin and Friends in German-speaking territories and Turkey.
Apple has acquired Beats Music and Beats Electronics, both of which were co-founded by rapper Dr. Dre, for $3 billion.
Knockout Licensing has added a trio of new Downton Abbey licensees for a range of play and novelty items.
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Fast but careful money: Sioux Falls firm offers new kind of capital
In a world of instant gratification, nearly anything an individual wants or needs can be acquired at the click of a button.
As a business owner, you can purchase a new laptop, branded merchandise, or critical production equipment online and it will be delivered to your door.
However, one thing that hasn’t caught up to speed for business owners is capital.
Traditionally, loans and investments can take months or even years to secure depending on the source. For the most part, that makes sense. If someone is lending a significant amount of money, they need time to ensure their investment will be responsibly managed.
Unfortunately, many business owners simply don’t have time to wait. That’s where Expansion Capital Group can help.
ECG offers funding ranging from $5,000 to $300,000 to profitable business owners in need of quick access to capital.
How does it work?
According to Tim Mages, ECG’s Chief Financial Officer, many small business owners lack the financial background necessary to pursue capital in advance.
“They don’t necessarily grow up in finance, maybe they’re selling widgets or running a restaurant, and they have a specific skill set,” Mages said. “It’s not that they’re unprepared, but what we see with a lot of small businesses is that they’re thinly staffed, they’re trying to be efficient, and they have to react quickly.”
When it comes to reacting quickly, Mages offers the example of an entrepreneur who has been putting all their energy toward winning a client. Once they secure that contract they’ll need to get to work immediately, and that may require equipment or extra staffing, which in turn, requires funding.
The reactionary approach to applying for capital may not have been feasible in the past, but thanks to technology and its ability to leverage data, Mages says ECG is able to approve and distribute funding in record time.
ECG calls itself a financial technology company, encompassing both financial services in the form of capital and technology as it relates to data processing and analytics.
Once a business owner submits ECG’s online application for funding, they can expect a response within two to three hours. This initial response will inform the business owner if they have received a soft approval for the loan. After two to three days, one of ECG’s advisors is able to perform due diligence and officially approve or deny funding.
“The tech piece is really where our uniqueness is,” Mages said. “We’re able to process a file from a small business owner and within two to three hours basically give them an indication of the amount of capital we could potentially provide.”
In comparison, businesses that pursue funding from more traditional sources may have to wait anywhere from one to four months before their application is processed and approved or denied.
ECG focuses heavily on businesses that can prove profitability but may not have the assets or collateral to put up toward a loan.
According to Mages, after the last recession in 2008, banks became burdened by regulations that limited their lending capability when it came to unsecured loans.
“We saw a number of small businesses getting left behind by banks, and that was really the void we were trying to fill,” Mages said. “I don’t think we set out to be the fastest to underwrite, but the market and technology have really gravitated toward this. It’s the Amazon concept of ‘I want it now.’”
Though ECG is open to hearing from businesses at almost any stage, most funded clients are early to mid-stage businesses with some level of profitability. The minimum amount of time in business for a client is six months.
“We’re not going to be the angel investor that comes in when the business owner is drawing it up,” Mages said. “We like to see some revenue in the business, some cash flow that we can then underwrite, taking concept risk out of the equation and making it more about execution.”
Most of the businesses ECG funds tend to be service-based, including restaurants, technology-enabled service businesses, construction services, trucking and logistics, and healthcare services.
“It really runs the gamut, but a very common theme is they’re asset-light businesses,” Mages said.
The average loan size from ECG is around $32,000, and Mages says most of the businesses they work with are under $10 million in revenue.
“Part of our objective is that they do become bankable,” Mages said. “As businesses grow and scale, they obviously become less risky.”
Still, some of the clients ECG works with have higher revenue streams, but simply don’t have time to wait. Ultimately, it’s all about supporting businesses as they grow and build toward success.
“By providing small businesses with capital, we’re completely aligned with their success,” Mages said. “We want to see a portion of that funding going toward a growth initiative, and that’s a big piece of the puzzle when our underwriters are finalizing funding: ’What are they going to do with the money, and how will they grow?’”
All in all, ECG’s funding method has filled a niche in the market by combining a commitment to helping businesses grow with a fast process. If you’re interested in pursuing funding from ECG keep those plans for growth in mind.
Two Things You Can Do This Week:
Does your business qualify for fast, flexible funding from Expansion Capital Group? Read over ECG’s list of qualifications before you consider applying for funding.
If you’re a business owner in need of capital, and you don’t have time to sit through a more traditional lending process, fill out an application for funding.
This article was produced by Startup Sioux Falls and syndicated by the Sioux Falls Business Journal. Startup Sioux Falls is a digital hub that aims to connect the communities, companies and non-profits that make up Sioux Falls' startup ecosystem.


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Yesterday, Canon made a splash by announcing the development of a new 250-megapixel CMOS sensor — the highest resolution for a sensor smaller than 35mm. That sensor is geared towards industrial applications (e.g. surveillance), but if you’re dying to get your hands on a monster-resolution Canon DSLR, the company has some good news for you too.
Canon just announced that they’re currently developing a DSLR camera that packs a 120-megapixel CMOS sensor.
By comparison, Canon’s latest 5DS and 5DS R, the world’s highest-resolution full frame DSLRs, pack “just” 50.6 megapixels.
Canon says this next-generation imaging device will help to “expand the possibilities of visual expression” and “recreate the three-dimensional texture, feel and presence of subjects, making them appear as if they are really before one’s eyes.”
The company says it’s also working on an 8K Cinema EOS camera system (with a 35MP 35mm sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range, and 60fps) and an 8K professional-use display.
Sony-made sensors have been dominating sensor quality tests in recent years, and Nikon (which uses Sony sensors for some of its cameras) has been benefiting from Sony’s rise as well. Perhaps this shifting landscape is why Canon is heavily beating its own drum in the megapixel count department and fanning the flames of the megapixel war.
No word yet on when we might see this new 120MP DSLR officially announced… or how many arms and legs it will cost when it is.
see the link: http://petapixel.com/2015/09/08/canon-were-building-a-120-megapixel-dslr/


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The Audi R8 is the most searched supercar, a new study from a British insurance comparison site has revealed.
Eager to discover what were the most popular performance cars on the planet, Confused.com analyzed Google search data over the last 12 months. What it discovered was that the Audi R8 has been searched 22.53 million times, impressive when you consider that it has been around since 2006 and won’t be in production for all that much longer.
Following closely behind the Audi R8 was the Lamborghini Urus with 20.06 million searches and while its an SUV, rather than a supercar, its popularity proves just how smart it was for Lamborghini to venture into the world of SUVs.
Read Also: Lamborghini’s Top Execs Paint A Picture Of An Electrified Future
Taking out third spot in the list was the BMW i8 with 18.43 million Google searches, placing it ahead of the Toyota Supra with 17.26 million, Ford Mustang with 16.65 million, the Nissan GT-R with 15.54 million searches, Porsche 911 at 15.48 million, Lamborghini Aventador at 11.555 million, Bugatti Chiron at 10.98 million, and the Lamborghini Huracan with 8.4 million searches on Google.
Unsurprisingly, Lamborghini proved to be the most popular producer of performance cars with more than 58,155,700 searches for the brand. This placed it well ahead of BMW with 26,753,000 searches and Ferrari with 25,352,990 annual Google searches. Other popular brands included Porsche (25,116,590 searches), Audi (22,897,600 searches), Nissan (22,855,000 searches), Ford (22,368,000 searches), McLaren (21,766,800 searches), Bugatti (17,427,000 searches), and Toyota with 17,260,000 searches.